The Adventures of Kitchen Girl

August 19, 2014

Calf's Liver with Bacon and Onion

Liver is one of those things that you either love or hate. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground when it comes to organ meats. Personally, I love liver of any kind. Chicken, beef, lamb, liverwurst... I eat it all and think it's amazing. My kids are pretty good with it too, though none of them are fans of chicken liver for some reason. I think some of the reason so many people dislike liver is because unless it's cooked properly it can be tough and have an almost metallic flavor. But if you just give liver a chance and try preparing it the way I outline here... you might be pleasantly surprised. Liver made this way is tender, not at all dry and because of the milk bath, that metallic taste is pretty much gone.

Now, just why would you want to eat liver? I mean aside from the fact that it's buttery, succulent and delicious. Because in moderation, it's really good for you! Lots of protein, minerals and vitamins and it's great for anemia. The only bad thing is that it is high in cholesterol... so it's not something to eat too frequently. Another reason that liver is a great food is because it's so economical! I recently bought fresh calf's liver from the butcher for about $1.25 a pound. If you buy directly from a butcher, he'll even slice it for you... which is a good idea, as I have found slicing it yourself is a pain in the rear end. I prefer fresh liver, never frozen... but if you have a problem finding it fresh, frozen will still yield delicious results. Like most things, the flavor and texture is best when it hasn't been frozen. But don't let frozen liver keep you from trying this recipe... it will still be amazing!

I like to serve this dish with mashed cauliflower and roasted Brussels sprouts. With all that bacon, the calorie content of this meal is high enough without adding starchy mashed potatoes, rice or pasta. So, keep your sides light and enjoy!

Calf's Liver with Bacon and Onion

Ingredients:

1 Pound calf’s liver, cut into 4 pieces

1 1/2 cups whole milk

8 bacon thick sliced bacon slices

4 medium onions, sliced into thin strips

1 cup AP flour

Salt and pepper to your personal taste

Method:

1: Soak the sliced liver in milk for 1 hour.

2: Sauté bacon sliced in a skillet until your desired
crispness. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and cover with foil to keep
warm. Set aside.

3: Remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings from the
skillet. Save the removed drippings to cook the liver in the next step.

4: Sauté the onions in the skillet with the bacon drippings
until golden brown. Place on the plate with the bacon and recover to keep warm.

5: Remove liver from the milk, pat dry. Discard the milk.

6: In a flat bowl, mix together flour, salt and pepper.

7: To a large skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons of bacon drippings
over medium high heat.

8: Dredge liver slices in flour, sharing off the excess.

9: Add dredged liver slices to hot skillet and sauté. Turn
only once after about 2 minutes. Sauté for a total of 5 minutes. You want the
liver nicely browned but still slightly pink inside.

10: Transfer sautéed liver to serving plates and top with 2
slices of bacon and 1/4 of the sautéed onions.

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